The invention disclosed herein relates generally to a cover system for preventing water from entering underground facilities through openings, e.g., for ventilation (e.g., air, light, etc.) and/or ingress/egress, e.g., for facilities such as transportation facilities, garages, storage facilities, vaults, data centers, basements, electrical equipment facilities, generators, electrical conduit and junction facilities, etc. “Underground facilities” is meant herein in a broad sense and encompasses interior facilities below floor level, such as ventilation or electrical conduit floorings.
Underground facilities, such as, but not limited to, those mentioned above, are under the threat of being flooded due to heavy rains, hurricanes, and storm surges, not only in areas traditionally prone to flooding close to rivers and shorelines, but also in metropolitan areas not traditionally flooded. For example, in 2012, The New York City subway system experienced unprecedented damage caused by storm surge and flood waters from Superstorm Sandy. At other times, parts of the NYC subway system were flooded to a much lesser extent from torrential rains. Much of such flooding was caused by water entering the subway system through entrances and air vents.